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Central East Florida
This slender but significant region stretches from Daytona Beach in the north to Stuart in the south
CLIMATE: Central East Florida has warm sunny days and mild nights. The average monthly temperature is 24°C (75ºF) in the winter and 35°C (95ºF) in the summer.
Daytona Beach
The Daytona Beach area covers 37km (23 miles) along the Atlantic coast and at low tide offers a 150m (500ft) expanse of hard white sand. The beach first became well known in the 1930s and 1940s as a testing ground for the early pioneers of high-speed motor cars and it was here that Sir Malcolm Campbell set his 1935 land speed record – an amazing 444kph (276mph) run in his rocket-powered Bluebird. For a small charge visitors can still take their cars on part of the beach, but the top speed now allowed is just 16kmph (10mph). Real speed is confined to the Daytona International Speedway which hosts the famous Daytona 500 race each February. The Pepsi 400 NASCAR Winston Cup Series takes place in the summer. The speedway also houses a huge collection of racing memorabilia and early racing films and conducts 30-minute tours on days with no races.
Other attractions include the huge Daytona Flea and Farmers Market, open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays; the Harbour Marina; and the Ocean Center, which hosts top entertainers, sporting events and conventions. Historical sights include The Casements, the former home of John D Rockefeller; the Gamble Place, a historical and nature preserve; Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse; and Sugar Mill Gardens, a large botanical garden and dinosaur park.
Other attractions include the huge Daytona Flea and Farmers Market, open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays; the Harbour Marina; and the Ocean Center, which hosts top entertainers, sporting events and conventions. Historical sights include The Casements, the former home of John D Rockefeller; the Gamble Place, a historical and nature preserve; Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse; and Sugar Mill Gardens, a large botanical garden and dinosaur park.
SPECIAL EVENTS: Feb 2003 Speed Weeks. Jul 7 NASCAR Pepsi 400; Florida International Festival. Oct Biketoberfest.
TRAVEL: Flights into Daytona arrive at the Daytona Beach International Airport (DAB) (website: http://flydaytonafirst.com). Greyhound buses come and go from 138 South Ridgewood Avenue, four minutes west of the beach (tel: (904) 255 3636). Voltran Transit Co operates local buses in the area.
NEW SMYRNA BEACH: South of Daytona Beach is New Smyrna Beach. Billed as the ‘World’s Safest Bathing Beach’, it is also the beach closest to the popular Orlando area and Central Florida attractions and an attraction in itself. Only a short drive from Orlando and Daytona Beach International Airports, New Smyrna Beach lays claim to the best Florida offers - excellent backwater fishing, fresh seafood and seasons of sunshine. As the second oldest settled city in Florida, New Smyrna offers visitors tours of several historical sites and museums. Also named one of the 'Top Small Cities for the Arts', this coastal town houses the Atlantic Center for the Arts, an artists-in-residence community, and many other galleries and exhibits. New Smyrna Beach is 21.2 km (13.2 miles) of white sand and continues into the largest section of Canaveral National Seashore Park and Mosquito Lagoon where backwater fishing for giant Redfish have set international angler records. Canaveral Seashore Park offers miles of pristine beaches, bird watching, kayaking and hiking for the adventurous traveller.
Affordable accommodations range from motels to oceanfront hotels, condominiums and Bed and Breakfast Inns.
Space Coast
South of New Smyrna Beach at Titusville is the start of the ‘Space Coast’, a 115km (72-mile) stretch of beach which leads down to Palm Bay.
The main attraction here is Cape Canaveral in the Titusville area – home of the US Space Program. All of NASA’s shuttle flights take off from the Kennedy Space Center. The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex runs continuous tours of the complex where visitors see the actual launchpads and astronaut training centres as well as museums and exhibits. IMAX presentations give visitors the illusion of space travel. Tours take in the Apollo/ Saturn Visitors’ Center, the Launch Complex 39 Observation Gantry and the International Space Station Center, which highlight the past, present and future of the USA’s Space Program. Visitors should plan to spend at least an hour at each of these three new facilities.
The Astronauts’ Hall of Fame, a few kilometres from the Kennedy Space Center offers a self-guided tour through the early days of space exploration, focusing on the Mercury 7 and Gemini astronauts. A virtual reality trainer and shuttle simulator make this a hands-on exhibit. The Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum displays historical military aircraft.
The Canaveral National Seashore is an unspoilt area of beaches and sand dunes where the giant loggerhead and green turtles come ashore in summer to lay their eggs. The marshy Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is home to more endangered species than any other refuge in the USA and features deer, sea turtles, alligators, eagles and excellent walking tracks. Port Canaveral is America’s second busiest cruise passenger port. The National Historic District of Main Street Titusville boasts many fine 18th- and 19th-century buildings. This charming area also contains antique shops, restaurants, a playhouse and more. The 7000-seat Space Coast Stadium in Viera is the spring training home of Major League Baseball’s Florida Marlins; games are played from March to September.
Cocoa Beach is a popular resort famed for surfing and a lively nightlife. Cocoa Beach Pier stretches 256 metres (800ft) into the Atlantic Ocean, offering exceptional fishing and views. The central shopping area has been recreated as Olde Cocoa Village. Astronaut Memorial Hall and Planetarium features memorabilia, astronomical mulitimedia programmes on a 360° domed ceiling, and a public-access space telescope.
Brevard Zoo features jaguars, llamas, anteaters, monkeys, exotic birds and other Latin American animals. The Brevard Museum of History and Natural Science traces the origins of Brevard County and the Brevard Museum of Art and Science hosts major touring art exhibitions.
The Melbourne/Palm Bay area is near the largest sea turtle nesting area in the USA, which stretches from Spessard Holland Park, south to Sebastian Inlet. Turtles come ashore from May to August and hatchlings struggle back to the ocean until late October. Turtle walks are offered on Space Coast beaches. Perched on the southern tip of the island, the 30m (90ft) Merritt Island Dragon is a concrete and steel sculpture inspired by a local legend. Melbourne’s historic centre features galleries, boutiques, restaurants and antique stores. The Henegar Center is the oldest building in the area, and has varied theatrical offerings throughout the year, while the Maxwell C King Center is the hub of area’s cultural life.
SPECIAL EVENTS: Mar 2003 Florida Marlins Profile Baseball Spring Training, Space Coast Stadium, Melbourne; Seafest, Cape Canaveral. Apr Annual Easter Surfing Festival, Cocoa Beach. May-Sep Sea Turtle Nesting Season. Jul Annual Space Week Celebration, Cocoa Beach.
TRAVEL: Melbourne International Airport (MLB) (website: www.mlbair.com) serves Brevard County and the Space Coast. Car hire is available and the airport runs a shuttle service throughout several counties.
Copyright © 2003 Columbus Publishing Ltd.
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